Labor Of Love

Hard Work, Money Puts Animal Shelter Back In Business

YORK — The Williamsburg Area Animal Shelter would be collecting dust this week instead of preparing for a grand reopening if not for the work of a small army of volunteers, shelter officials say.

Closed since last August, the shelter will reopen early next month after a top-to-bottom overhaul, says Judy Eley, vice president of the Animal Shelter Association of Williamsburg, a nonprofit group formed to open and operate the shelter. Eley says donations of labor, advice, money and equipment from throughout the community have helped put the shelter back in business.

"We couldn't have done this without strong support," Eley says. "There were a lot of people who were willing to work hard for it."

The shelter will house and provide medical care for as many as 1,700 lost stray or injured animals per year.

Association President Robert Hampel says the shelter has new management, a dedicated board of directors and a $40,000 war chest that should help it get off to a running start. He would not discuss financial and political problems that led the Williamsburg Area SPCA to close down the operation last year, but says past difficulties will not hamper the new organization.

"We're going to have an open, cordial relationship with the surrounding municipalities," he says. "And we have enough money to sustain ourselves for a while."

The association also has commitments from area governments to support the shelter. The city of Williamsburg, which has already donated $6,000 in start-up money, has pledged $10,000 for the fiscal year beginning in July, Hampel says. The city has also agreed to lease the Waller Mill Road building and property to the association for $1 per year. James City County has pledged $19,500, he says, and York County has promised $4,000.

Money from the municipalities is greatly appreciated, Hampel says, but it will only amount to about one-third of the shelter's estimated annual operating costs of $95,000. That means continued support from individuals, civic groups and businesses is critical, he says.

"We've got to educate people and bring them in here so they understand what we're doing," says Hampel, petting Minnie Mouse, his tiny Yorkshire terrier. "We know we've got a chore ahead of us, but we believe we can rally the community."

Local veterinarians have thrown their support to the association, donating their skills and money to help open the shelter. They say a functioning animal shelter means fewer cats and dogs starving or killed in the wild, fewer dog and cat bites, less chance for rabies to spread and more animal adoptions.

"We're noticing more and more animals being left on our doorsteps since the shelter closed," says Meryl Lessinger, a Williamsburg veterinarian who is the shelter's medical director. "Every community in the nation has a need for a place like this."

Lessinger says a program will be set up at the shelter to pair up pets with mentally disabled people, emotionally disturbed people and others who would benefit from having an animal.

Local veterinarians will also provide free or reduced-price spaying and neutering for every animal adopted from the shelter, Lessinger says.

"It's going to be the most aggressive program of its kind in Tidewater," she says. "The number of homeless cats and dogs in this country is a disgrace, and this is our effort to do something about it."